


When I've Only Been Dreaming

by mizufallsfromkumo



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Allura & Lance (Voltron) are Siblings, Altean Lance (Voltron), Alternate Universe - Reincarnation, Dreams, Fluff, Light Angst, M/M, Past Character Death, Past Lives, Past Relationship(s), Pining Shiro (Voltron), Shance Fluff Week 2018, Shiro (Voltron) is a Dork, Slight Pre-Keberos Shance, slight mention of gore
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-04
Updated: 2018-06-04
Packaged: 2019-05-18 08:17:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,257
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14849090
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mizufallsfromkumo/pseuds/mizufallsfromkumo
Summary: His mother always told him dreams were important.They were the mind's way of telling people things they needed.  Held meanings and messages from the mind disguised as other things.  And it was important to listen to them.So Takashi did as much as he could.





	When I've Only Been Dreaming

**Author's Note:**

> Ah...my first posted Voltron fic! I've written a few but they either aren't done or not posted. But this is the first on I've posted. And it's for Shance Fluff Week. 
> 
> Because Shance is the reason I fell into the Voltron fandom to begin with. And I just can't get enough of it.
> 
> So here you let us begin.

Ever since he could remember, Takashi has had dreams.  

Dreams that felt like memories of another place, another time, another life.  Yet too fanatically and futuristic at the same time to be _actually_ real.  Nothing more than a childish imagination of elves and space, magic and technology all one in the same.  Which was lovely in itself in ways Takashi never had the words to describe as a child.

His mother always told him dreams were important.  

They were the mind's way of telling people things they needed.  Held meanings and messages from the mind disguised as other things.  And it was important to listen to them.

So Takashi did as much as he could.

He was never sure what his subconscious was trying to tell him when it filled his sleep with lovely wheat fields.  And rolling country hills, and sleek white crafts and machinery he use to work with his father, or rather his father in his dreams.  Or stories of heroining ventures from his uncle in the Royal Forces.

Or the king who smiled down very kindly at him when passing through with his uncle and few other guards.  

No matter how many dream meaning books Takashi secretly looked through.  Or researched online in the mornings as he prepared for school. He could never find anything that made any sort or coherent sense for what might be going on in his life.

But it didn’t matter to Takashi in the end.  

They were fantastical, memory like, dreams after all.  Nothing really bad or scary ever really happened for him to consider any one dream a nightmare.  Usually they were all just a pleasant flow of another magical futuristic elf life on Altea.

* * *

Takashi is fifteen, and newly admitted into the Galaxy Garrison with the whole world suddenly seeming to have eyes on him, the first time he dreams of the Prince.  

Which was perhaps not the most... _ideal_ time…

In regards to a human’s body maturing, for him to be dreaming about a beautiful elf-like prince.  Something, honestly Takashi would admit, could be said about the whole elfen race of Altea. Every last one of them seemed to be relatively flawless in beauty by human standards.  

Yet Prince Lance was something else.

Silky looking white hair, though shorter than what expected of him.  Slim frame with a lean athletic build, granted a little wiry from his own young age, but still.  Naturally light tan complexion. Bright blue eyes that were accent by the blue markings under his eyes.  As well as the glittering jewels and fine pressed clothes he had on for his status as the second heir to the throne.

Yeah...not ideal at _all._

The first time Takashi had a dream of Prince Lance, he was sneaking around the Royal Guard Barracks.  Trying to hide from his guard, who at the time, was not the kindest of guards. As well as trying to get out of his dailly court lessons or something.

Why the prince ever thought trying to hide in the Barracks was good idea, Takashi would _never_ know.  

Because Lance stuck out like a sore thumb, even if he had tried to disguise himself (which he had in fact not done).  He didn’t know how to carry himself like trained royal guard. Or talk like one for that matter. If anything, he looked like child pretending to be a guard and over exacterating everything they had seen in a clumsy fashion.

In the dream, Takashi took to helping the prince hide from his guard.  

A little bit because  Lance batted his eyes and asked nicely.

And a little bit more because Lance was the _prince_ and it was Takashi’s _duty_ as a royal guard.  

But mostly because the royal guard at the time hated Takashi's dreamself, Kashi as everyone called him.

Like with a passion.  Simply because Takashi had natural skill, and learned quickly where he didn’t.

And Takashi was _young_ , roughly the Altean equivalent of fifteen, though not _actually_ fifteen in age.

Because apparently after reasonably average length of childhood, and short purbencent like period, the elven race of Altea suddenly started aging _way_ slower.  Like every five Earth years (which are also _longer_ as well) was equivalent to one Earth year of aging...or something like that.

A simple fact Takashi just knows in relation, like it is his own common knowledge.

So he hid Prince Lance in his room, and sent the guard searching when he was asked.  Stating he was too busy tying his own boots laces too notice anyone.

Yet when he opened the door to his room again.  Takashi’s window was open at the prince was gone.  Only to be found scaling down the walls when Takashi panicked and raced to see.  Shout a brief thanks up at him, before the royal advisor spotted the prince, and he darted off once his feet reached the ground.

After that the dreams followed a similar pattern.

Lance escaping his guard’s watch, or running from them in hot pursuit of him.  And Takashi always catching him with ease. Perhaps not always immediately seeing to the prince’s return.  Or, not, at the very least, rubbing the guards nose in the fact that Takashi found him and not _them_.

The dreams were always a nice distraction from the workload the Garrison was putting on him.  And the pressure of all the world’s eyes watching him. And everything that came with it as well.  Not to mention the name his classmates gave him that is really starting to stick.

The dreams were an escape of sorts, that Takashi didn’t mind.

That was until he had the dream of King Alfor assign him to be Prince Lance’s personal Royal Guard.

It was again...not _ideal._

* * *

By Shiro’s last year attending the Garrison, his dream journal reads like sci-fi fantasy romance novel.

That was according to Matt, though.  

Who Shiro, seriously almost smothered with a pillow when he said that.  Shoving and wrestling him to get the damn little journal back. Because one, that was rude; two, that was his private journal and Matt was being nosey; and three, that was _rude._

All the while trying not to blush bright red as Matt clumbsily read out passages from it.

Writing the dreams down was something Shiro had started doing after his first year at the Garrison.  His mother bought him a small journal that was simply too nice for notes or scratch work.

One day writing down the dreams just felt _right_ , so he did.

And by right, Shiro meant he was majorly frustrated by them.

Or rather one dream.  With a field full of red flowers, and Prince Lance’s lingering touches after he placed one behind Shiro’s ear.  Carefully making sure it was in just the right place so it won’t fall out. Long fingers dancing along his skin, and a tingling sense of breath against his lips.

By the Ancients, Shiro wanted to kiss the prince so bad in the dream.

Craved it down to his soul, so much so Shiro woke up frustrated and annoyed.  And he needed to get it out before he snapped at a teacher or superior. Or Matt for that matter.

So he wrote it out...and felt better.

And then it just became habit.

One Shiro had come to enjoy in his morning routine when he could manage it.  As writing them down made them more solid. Not that he couldn’t remember them.  Shiro could almost remember every dream like vivid wonderful memories.

But written in a journal they feel like _his_.  

Like a part of him was actually writing them down for him to remember.  All with a warm wave of nostalgia and love he can’t really put into words, other than it felt good and right.

It almost relaxed him to read them over.  Eased his mind from the stresses of homework or testing, or simulations.

And, yes, sure, Shiro will admit, it could read like youth romance novel.

With an obscene amount of pinning, and sneaking around closed downs and shadows.  Sneaking affections where they dared for some edge, like it was an affair. An affair that could ruin Lance’s reputation and get Shiro removed from his position as his guard.  Despite it never actually being a problem in the future.

But also a young love that burned bright and beautiful, and innocent.  

Not to mention a giant dab of a sense that the universe was making it happen, and the two souls would come together anyway no matter what.  Like a soulmate sort of vibe, but more...

Along with some far more... _explicit_ content that were more than less _ideal_.

Of course, that doesn’t give Matt the right to say it... _out loud_.  Or sing ‘Kashi and Lance sitting in a tree’ like an annoying little five year old.  Or make kissing sounds when Shiro finally wrestles the journal away from him.

“I think you missed your calling.”  Matt commented with a nod as Shiro shoved the book away.

“I think you’re going to miss you first class.”  Shiro grumbled smartly.

Watching as Matt squeaked and hurried out of the room for class as quick as he could.

* * *

Two weeks before the Kerberos Mission, the Garrison throws a “seminar panel” for the students.  

Put Shiro, Matt, and Commander Holt on a line of chairs and held like a really boring q and a.  Shiro was sure he answered the same five questions about flying and advice to give, about twenty different times, with like thirty different ways of wording it.  

Which was fine, he guessed.  

But Shiro wanted nothing more than to spin in the seat to at least entertain himself a little.  Wiggle a little to ease the growing nervousness and excitement out of his system instead of just sitting there.  Listening to Commander Holt compliment the frozen peas they’ll be eating for the new few _months._

At least he could make slight faces at Keith, who would roll his eyes and huff slightly each time.

After, the Garrison organized something they claimed to be a “sociable meet and greet”, but it was totally party.  With special foods and drinks, and the works. The whole Garrison showed up, if not for the three humans about to travel farthest in space, but for the food.

Shiro goes with it all.

Smiled through all the congratulations and small talk people tried to make with him.  Along with all the pictures and selfies a reasonable part of student body wanted to take with him.  He could only silently nod in agreement when Matt whispered in his ear that his damn cheeks were hurting.

It wasn’t the worst though.  

At least the food was decent and the drinks were flowing.

Shiro turned on his heels easily, and nearly rammed into a cadet with his small plate of new collected hors d'oeuvres.  The cadet squeaked in surprise at Shiro’s sudden action, freezing in place with a small plate of food of their own. Probably just trying to get food more than actually approach Shiro.

Slowly the cadet look up at him, and Shiro froze.

Before him was Prince Lance.

Well...sort of.  

The cadet had soft dark brown hair, that curled slightly around his rounded ears.  And he was missing the blue marks under his eyes. But he had the same face structure.  Same skin color and the flawless beauty.

And the same damn _eyes._

Down the same shining speck of blue in the pupil of his eyes, that human’s don’t really have.

The cadet swallowed thickly after a moment of starting.  Eyes wide as he started up at Shiro before him. Only it was in surprise that it was Shiro that turned around as one might think.  Rather the cadet looked like was seeing a ghost.

“Sorry,”  Shiro apologies quickly before his brain can fully wonder if this Lance look alike dreamed of him.  “I wasn’t exacting anyone to be right there when I turned around.”

“Ah...no, it’s fine,”  The cadet scrambled out, flourishing slightly in the cheeks, yet still looking like he was staring up at a ghost.  Shiro’s throat goes a little dry, because it’s the same voice too. Missing the accent but still the same voice. “I mean...ah...I’m sorry.  Really shouldn’t have been that close, there is no really...um... _flow_ to the, ugh, table layout.”  The cadet ranbbled hurriedly. Turning his gaze to the table of food beside them.  Gesturing wildly and almost sending a serving spoon flying in the process. “I mean...you were just...um…”

Holy shit, what is _happening_?!

“Let’s just blame bad table flow and call it a night.”  Shiro stated easily.

Doing his best to save the cadet from his rambling.  Because if he was anything like Prince Lance...well they could be there for a while, until they were so far off topic, the cadet forgot why he was even talking in their first place..  And as adorable as Shiro would probably find it, because he always found it adorable, he would spare the cadet the embarrassment.

Or from being shooed away by a professor, or other cadets, or Iverson himself, for taking up too much of Shiro’s time.

The cadet relaxed a little.  Letting out a small sigh as he nodded in agreement.

Before sheepishly looking down at his plate for a second then back up at Shiro.  “You’re Takashi Shirogane, correct?” The cadet asked nervously.

The question surprised Shiro.

Because surely the cadet _knew_ who he was.  There wasn’t a soul at the Garrison who didn’t know who Shiro was.  Hell there probably weren’t many in the worlds who didn’t know who Shiro was if they didn’t before.  

Yet the question was asked like the cadet was trying to get Shiro’s name right.

Like Shiro had a twin brother, or changed his name....or something.  And the cadet was trying to figure out which one Shiro was, rather than assuming.

“Everyone calls me Shrio,”  He corrected with a nod and a kind smile.  

The flash of sadness across the cadet’s face does not go unmissed by Shiro.  Only it was gone before Shiro’s brain registered what it was to comment on it.  That and the cadet started talking again.

“You’re going to Kerberos,”  the cadet started with something of an easy grin.  “Congrats, hope the mission is a success, and..ugh...stay safe out there.”

 _Stay safe out there_.  

The words hit Shiro oddly.

Mostly because the whole night no one had said them to him the whole night.  Sure everyone had congratulated him on being the pilot, and wished him nothing by success.  But not to be stay safe.

After all space travel had become rather routine over the years.  

Ships left and returned into atmosphere with barely any issues now a days. Space missions were barely ever mentioned on the news anymore unless they were something big, like Kerberos, or something large was discovered.  

There was almost no need for the words ‘stay safe’ to even be muttered.

And yet…

“Thank you,”  Shiro returned with an easy smile.

A genuine grin bloomed across the cadets lips.  Same way it did on Prince Lance’s face. The cadet opened his mouth to say something.

“McClain, stop bothering Shiro,”  Keith’s voice suddenly cut through the air.

The cadet, McClain, bristled at the sound.  Squaring his lean shoulders, and straightening to his full height, which was reasonably tall for his age.  His face fading into a controlled look, with eyes glaring without actually glaring at Keith over Shiro’s shoulder.

Yet before Shiro can snap at Keith that McClain was not really actually bothering him, the cadet spoke sharply.  “Ah, if it isn’t Fighter Class’s worst hairstyle, _Mullet_.”  McClain with such venomous backhand charm that sounded so natural and dignified, it was a miracle Shiro didn’t laugh.  “Best take my leave before your bad style decisions rub off on me.”

And then the cadet was gone.

That night when Shiro went to bed, he dreamed of the prince again, climbing in the mouth of a huge mechanical blue lion.  Gripping Shiro’s sword in its sheath so tightly, Shiro is half afraid he’ll hurt himself. And staring at Shiro so mournfully.

Shiro knew he wouldn’t see Prince Lance again.  

They _both_ knew that.

There was a waring Empiric fleet coming for Altea.  And the king was scattering their greatest weapon, and hiding away his children in hopes that at least _they_ will survive what was coming, and save the rest of the universe.  Lance had begged for Shiro to come with him, do his duty of protecting him, but Shiro could not.  He was needed on Altea, his sword would see to Lance’s protection in the meantime.

“I will find you, when I can, my love, my pulse.”  He declared in the dream. “I will return to you once more, and we will be together again.  I promise. Until then, stay safe.”

And then he watched Lance leave.  Disappear into space with a flash of light moments before the war ships came into view.

Shiro woke up with a heavy sense of dread, that never fully went away in the days leading up to the launch of the Kerberos mission.  But he tells no one.

He almost wish he had when the Galra warship lurked above them.

* * *

The dreams failed Shiro in his time with the Garla.

Completely utterly fail him as he curled up in whatever cell he was thrown in by the Garla.  Left to lick at his wounds from the arena and crave for an escape. But the dreams never supplied him one.

They are fill with war and death.  

Kashi’s death.  

 _His_ death.

A sword, _Zarakon’s_ sword, plunging though his middle when the sword in Shiro’s own hands is knocked away.  The blow is painful, but it is initially not enough to kill him. Because Zarakon questions were Prince Lance is, demanding to know what was done with the lions.  Shiro had pulled himself further down the blade as an answer, and glared up at the towering emperor, before his life his ripped out of him, and Shiro falls to the ground.  Let to simply star up at the stars until it all ended.

Over and over again.  Like a reminder of what could happen in the arena if he wasn’t careful.  Something he does not need the dreams to remind him of.

No relief whatsoever from the horrors he was facing.

No, relief comes in the form of words in the back of his mind.

 _Stay safe out there_.  

It echoes in the back of his mind all the time, like a mantra.  

Even though Shiro’s already failed.  He didn’t stay safe, and the likelihood he would ever work out an escape plan was narrowly thin.

He felt like a failure.

Failing Prince Lance in two lives it felt.

_Stay safe out there._

Shiro tries.

* * *

Shiro crashed back down to Earth in Galra ship.

He was a little _fuzzy_ on how exactly it all happened.  He’s just kind of aware of the fact that he managed to get to a ship and escape.  Then Earth. Like a hard stop on Earth. And then he’s in some desert shack with Keith and three other cadets.

One of whom is the Prince-Lance look-a-like.

A detail Shiro tries not to pay too much attention to...like _at all_.

Lucky Keith makes it easy with his board of crazy.  Which honestly given Shiro’s last...long amount of time he doesn’t believe was just a year, as a captive of an alien race, it was not all that crazy.  Weird, for sure. But it was one hell of a coincidence to not completely ignore.

Next thing he knew, the five of them were out in the desert following readings of a thrown together tracking device.  That leads them to a cave. And a giant, mechanical blue _thing,_ that seriously looks like a lion under a shield of some kind.

“Is this...Voltron?”  one of the teens, the mini-Matt look-a-like named Pidge, asked.  Shiro is like ninety percent sure they are really Katie, Matt’s little sister...but he wasn’t going to ask right then and there.

Shiro helplessly shrugs as looks up at the lion.

“Blue is _part_ of Voltron.”  Lance’s voice suddenly sounds behind all of them.  

Causing everyone to jump and turn at the sudden sound of his voice.  

Shiro’s blood ran cold at the sight.

Lance was carefully adjusting a wrist guard of his armor.  His _blue and white_ armor.   _Altean_ designed armor.  The same one he was wearing the last time Shiro ever saw Prince Lance’s in a dream.  Before he got in a giant, blue robot lion and flew away...just like…

No, that wasn’t possible.

There was no way that could be possible.

There was no way, Prince Lance and the look-a-like also named Lance could be the exact same person.  Let alone _actually_ real.  

Because that would mean…

Oh god, what _exactly_ did that mean for Shiro?

“Oh okay... _part_ of Voltron, cool.  How exactly do you know that, Lance?”  The larger cadet, named Hunk, asked slowly.  Knocking Shiro out of his mini panic. “Also, um...what are you wearing?”

“Because one, like the Garla, I _know_ what Voltron is.”  Lance said easily with a roll over his eyes as he placed his hands on his hips.  “Two, I’ve actually _seen_ Voltron.  And three, my father kind of sort of created it.”  

Shiro nearly choked at the words.

“As for what I am wearing, it’s Paladin armour, as I am the Paladin of the Blue Lion.” Lance continued easily.  A pur erupts behind them at Lance’s words, deep and vibrating. Everyone jumps again, turning back to find the lion thing _staring_ down at them.  “Yes, I know Blue.”  He said like he was talking to thing walked towards the shield.  “Mullet head is the one who's been snooping around here.”

“Hey!”  Keith snapped from his place by the shield.  

To mystified to sound truly angered by Lance’s words.

“Are you...ugh... _talking_ to that thing?”  Pidge asked with a look like Lance has lost his mind.

“Yes,”  Lance answered simply.  “Now, if you all will just…”  He continued as he knocked on the shield.

Suddenly Shiro finds his vision clouded with images.  Lights and other lions, coming together to form a giant robot man.  Something that feels like deja vu in Shiro’s mind, because he knows all of it.  He’s seen it in his dreams before.

There a spark of familiarity in the back of his mind...like a ‘Welcome back’ that Shiro feels like is from the big blue lion robot.  It purrs at the assumption.

Then everything about the cave comes rushing back to them.  Everyone looks dazed. Save Lance, who he stood in the _mouth_ of the lion, watching them all come back to their senses with a knowing grin.

“Uh...what was _that?!”_ Hunk asked frantically.

“Voltron,”  Lance answered easily.  “Now get in losers, we have a universe to save.”  He stated before walking further into the mouth of the lion.

Pidge and Hunk shrugged at each other before following him quickly.  Keith moved to go after them. Before he stopped and turned back to Shiro, who is staring at the Blue Lion like he’s going crazy.

And maybe he was.  

Given the fact that his dreamed some this to an amazing degree.

And it would be really nice if he could remember how to breath properly.

“Hey, Shiro you okay?”  Keith asked.

Shiro nodded with a thick swallow.  “Yeah, I’m fine Keith. It’s just a lot to...process.”

“Okay,”  Keith continued oddly as he Shiro moved to approach him and enter the lion.  “You just look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

Shiro just hummed as he moved to enter the lion's mouth.

He can’t shake the feeling that maybe he _was_ the ghost.

* * *

Shiro never planned on _ever_ telling Lance about his dreams.

About the possibly that he might be his Royal Guard, Kashi born again. Reincarnated to find Lance again like he promised _years_ back.

Mostly because he did not want to get slapped by the Altean Prince.

Keith told Shiro he saw Lance fling a Galra sentury across a room like it was nothing.  Hunk and Pidge had witness the Prince lift things even they had huffed and puffed to move like it was made of feathers.  Because apparently Alteans were just naturally strong in general, a fact Shiro’s dreams had not told him in any way.

Shiro decide he did not want to get hit by him.  

Or by Allura.  

Or Coran for that matter.

So he kept his mouth shut about everything.

It was pretty easy to just act as clueless as the other Paladins.

Altea was a...weird place, lovely...but weird.

Not to mention they were in a war with an on old, vast, and powerful empire.  The same one that had brought Altea to its knees, then wiped it out. And stranded Prince Lance on a distant far off planet _years_ before anyone was ever born.  There was no time for things like that to even come up.

Even if Lance had mourned the loss of his race and culture years back, and adapted and moved on.  The scabbed over wounds had been picked open by Allura’s and Coran’s own pain. After all it was still fresh to them, and Lance was hurting again because _they_ were hurting over it all.  And there is a look of pained sadness every time Lance _looks_ at Shiro.  Usually not for noticeably long, but it’s almost always there.  

And there is the fact that Alteans don’t really _believe_ in reincarnation.

Or at least, it was nothing more than a fairytale idea told in stories.  A loose sort of belief that could happen in those truly meant for each other.  But there was no proof of the sort ever happening, according to Coran.

Therefore no real need to believe in something like that.

So Shiro plans to keep his mouth shut.

No matter how much Black mutters and urges for him to tell Lance.  Because it’s _important_ and something Lance _should_ know.  

But Shiro wasn’t going to tell.

* * *

 The universe had _other_ plans.

The Castleship decided it wanted to try and kill them all, not to long after Sendacks attack. Corrupting the King Alfor’s AI consciousness, into playing with pretty much everyone’s minds.  

Specifically Allura’s.

Lance had raced off to try and disconnect their father from the castle systems.  While Coran tried to talk her out of whatever she was seeing, before she flew them into a star.  

The split plan half works.  

Coran managed to talk Allura out of her hallucination.  But the corrupted AI remained in control.

A fact that filled Shiro with a sense of dread he couldn’t really explain.  

He knew it wasn’t because Lance hadn’t succeeded in disconnecting his father.  Rather it felt more like he _knew_ Lance was distressed about something.  Deeply distressed about something.

Shiro volted off as Coran filled Allura in.  Leaving with just a short curt order to make sure they don’t fly into the burning ball of gas and die.  Because that does not lend itself to saving the universe.

The oldest human found Lance frozen in a hallway.  

Leaning in alcove in the hallway.  Staring at the emptiness like he was seeing something he couldn’t believe he was seeing, even though he wanted to.  His hand held out like he was holding something in it. Eyes glossed over the same away Allura’s had been before Coran snapped her out of it.   

Shiro just almost knows what Lance was seeing.   _Who_ Lance was seeing.

It almost makes Shiro’s blood boil.  

That the corrupted AI would go so low to stop Lance.

“Lance, whatever you’re seeing it’s not real.”  Shiro stated as he moved to grab on of Lance’s arms,  “ _He’s_ not real.”  

Lance doesn’t seem to register Shiro at all.  Staring straight ahead at the space.

“Listen to me, Lance!”  Shiro snapped, as he grabbed Lance’s other arms.  Carefully moving into his line of sight. But again Lance’ doesn’t really actually register Shiro, he just turned his head a tiny fraction.  “He’s not here. What is being said isn’t true. It’s a trick. That’s not Kashi.”

That caused Lance to look at him in confusion at the words.  Eyes still glossed over, but it’s enough for Shiro to know Lance heard him.  “How…” Lance stated dully.

“Because _I_ found you, Lance.”  Shiro returned easily.  “ _I_ came back to you, like promised.”  

For a moment Lance blinked out of whatever hold the AI had over him. And he stared at Shiro before he blinked back in again.  Turning his gaze away from Shiro to whatever he was seeing completely lost.

Shiro scrambles to remember how Coran talked Allura out of whatever she was seeing.

“Focus on a detail Lance!”  Shiro ordered sharply.

Lance half turned to look at him at the order, before turning back.  And then it was like he was coming up for air. Gasping out of the hallucination suddenly.  Gripping onto Shiro tightly like he was a suddenly life line as his legs gave out slightly.

“Easy, easy.” Shiro urged, as he helped support Lance.

Suddenly Shiro found himself in a tight hug.  Lance burying his face in Shiro’s collarbone. His hands gripping the back of his shirt tightly.  Shiro could feel the prince shaking just slightly as he looped his arms around him, in the easy and familiar fashion he always had in the dreams.  Gentle and comforting with a hand curling around the back of Lance’s neck.

“What did you mean when you said _you_ came back to me?”  Lance asked carefully after a moment.

Shiro stiffend.  

Scrambling for a way to explain what the could mean.

At least the universe was kind to Shiro for once.

Before Lance could try to press, the sound of three sets of footsteps sound down the hall.  Shiro pulled away enough to see the other Paladins rushing down the halls. Pidge quickly declaring that King Alfor’s AI was no longer in control, and Coran managed to get them out of the path of the sun.

Lance just bolted down the hall, with little else.

They all hurry behind him to find Allura sitting in the shattered remains if her Father’s conconious container.  And suddenly Lance wasn’t so concerned with what Shiro meant.

* * *

“The first time I ever saw a picture of you, I dropped a plate of food right on the ground.”  Lance’s voice stated coolily, half startling Shiro with the sound.

The Black Paladin had heard him enter.  The soft patter of his blue lion slippers was easy to pick up anywhere. Hear him carefully make his way over to where Shiro was standing on the observation deck.  Just watching the vastness of space pass him by as he tried not to get consumed by screams and dark memories.

Shiro just hadn’t exactly expected him to speak so suddenly.

Or say that...

“Just...crash!”  Lance continued, and Shiro turned to see him miming the action of dropping a large plate.  “Dinner on the floor, plate in a thousand tiny pieces, Mamí McClain shouting in a panic, and I was just staring at the TV.  Like I saw a ghost.” Lance continued, gently placing his hands behind his back in an overly princely manner and glancing at Shiro.  “You looked a lot like him.”

“Like who?”  Shiro asked innocently.  

Even though he knew exactly what Lance meant.

“Kashi, my Royal Bodyguard before...ah...everything.”  Lance clarified simply, turning his gaze to the passing stars.

Shiro hummed absently at the words.

“Allura and Coran don’t really see it.  It’s the ears...and the hair...and the scar.”  Lance continued with a quick wave of his hand. “But mostly the ears.  To round and short for them to get past.”

Shiro chuckled at the comment.  “You told Allura and Coran that?”

“It came up.”  Lance said simply.  Shiro snorted at the blatant lie the words sounded like.  “Hey, when you have sister fall out of cryosleep after ten-thousand years, stuff just comes out when you are catching up okay.  I don’t want to hear it.”

“Fine,” Shiro grinned out, holding his hands up in surrender.

A silence passed over them.  Filling the space easily as the two watched the stars past by.  Nothing about the silence seemed straining.

Shiro wasn’t sure where the conversation was going to do.  

After all it had been a reasonable amount of time since the Castle tried to kill them all.  And he basically told Lance he was Kashi to get him snap out of whatever haze he had been placed in.  

But things happened between then and now. A whole lot of... _things._ Lance hadn’t brought anything up with Shiro.

So he simply stayed quiet.

“I don’t blame them for not seeing it.”  Lance continued after a moment. “After all, the chances of a similar repeated genetic sequence is more highly likely than...anything else.  I could simply be projecting. But…”

“You wish it were true?”  Shiro finished, glancing at Lance carefully from the corner of his eye.

“It would be nice.”  Lance answered with a shrug.  “I miss him. And you are... _very_ much like him in a lot of ways.  It is easy to think and hope that the myths are at least a little bit true.”

Shiro hummed absently as he turned to look out the window.  

He could see Lance bounce on his feet some as he looked out of the stars.  His gaze not really on them. Rather staring at Shiro like he was waiting for him to just admit something.  Prove his hopes right, and Shiro and Kashi were indeed one in the same, and returned to Lance. And they could be together again.

Black urges sharply in the back of his mind.   _Tell him_ , is resounding clear in the rumbles and grumbles of the lion. Shiro doesn’t want to listen, even though he really wants to as well.

Because it all felt crazy, and there was no way it was all true.

But then again, he was a pilot of a mystical robot lion that combined with four other mystical robot lions to form a huge towering robot man.  

So....maybe not the craziest thing.

A sigh from Lance sounded through the air.   Shiro turned to see the Altean prince turning on his heels and quietly walking away.  A small ‘night Shiro’ being left in his wake as he moved to leave the observation deck.

“Ever since I can remember, I’ve had dreams.”  Shiro started, hearing Lance’s footsteps stop. “Dreams of a beautiful place, that was very unlike Earth, called Altea, and a life that was had there.  For a long time, I thought they were just dreams. My own imagination just going over time. Even though they kind of felt like memories that were mine.

“But I never considered them to be such.  Not even when I was captured by the Galra.  And I dreamed of Zarakon running a sword through me nearly every night.”  Shiro continued slowly, keeping his focus on the stars. He can hear Lance’s breath hitch slightly behind him. Yeah he probably didn’t know that’s what happened. “It wasn’t till I saw you in the Paladin armor did it...click into place.  That maybe what I was dreaming really actually happened.”

“Are you saying...you’re...”  Lance asked tentatively, before trailing off.

“I don’t know.”  Shiro admitted slowly as he turned to look at Lance defeated.  

Because he does really care for Lance.  

Loved him before ever really meeting him because Kashi loved him.  And Shiro doesn’t want to mess it up...or hurt Lance in someway. He might have Kashi’s memories, and _be_ Kashi in a new life.  But he was also still Shiro too, a simple human with way too much on his plate.

And like how does one even enter a relationship with a reincarnated loved one.

“I mean, I have his memories, I think.  The swamp moon, the night balcony were you two laid under the stars, the stolen kisses at formal events.  It’s all there, but like a memory that isn’t exactly mine, while also being mine.”

A smile bloomed on Lance’s face.  The same it always did in Shiro’s dreams when he was happy about something Shiro did.  

Usually right before…

Suddenly Shiro had an armful of Altean against his chest.  And warm lips against his own, as he somehow managed to not stumble into the glass of the observation deck window.  Rather moving on instinct to return the kiss Lance had him in like his life depended on it.

Lance pulled away with a dazzling smile.  And Shiro is honestly loopy in a way that is all kinds of good and wonderful, everything just feels right.

The Black paladin must of had the same stupid look he did the first time Lance and Kashi ever kissed.  Because Lance is giggling lovingly as he pet Shiro’s face lightly. Muttering about how cute he was.

“Reincarnation isn’t really an exact science now is it.”  Lance stated easily.

“No I suppose not.”  Shiro agreed. “But maybe kissing me again will help...you know as an experiment.”

Lance hummed loveling down at him.  “Good idea.” The prince commented before leaning down to kiss Shiro again. Over and over again.

“ _Really_ good idea,”  Shiro muttered between kisses and Lance snorted.

 

**Author's Note:**

> So I think my definition of Fluff is off, because like I can't avoid a little angst. But it's not too bad I don't think. I tried to end it on a happy note, even if I feel so-so about it.
> 
> Quick Edit: For some reason, a part of another fic got randomly pasted in I didn't notice, I fixed it. Sorry about that.
> 
> But this is from a sort of Altean!Lance AU I have in my head. Where Lance hide Blue Lion on either and went into a cryosleep and woke up 24 years too yearly and just lived as a human till it was time to leave. (And Shiro is totally his reincarnated royal guard/soulmate because I am cliche). Lance shapeshifted his ears, dyed his hair brown, and covered his markings with make-up to appear him, while barely even aging in the time. He lived with he McClains, cause they found him...and they just adjusted their lie as to who Lance was in relation to them as time went on. 
> 
> Also I am unoriginal on Shiro's Altean name, but fight me.
> 
> And yeah...
> 
> Oh and the reason there is a shift from referring to Shiro as Takashi to Shiro in the story, is because I've developed something of a headcanon that Shiro is name he got at the Garrison. Because it's kind of Military school, and, at least, in show and movies, soldiers kind of give each other little nicknames that kind of stick around. So Shiro was just like "well okay than, I'm Shiro now"
> 
> I don't know. I hope you enjoyed.


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